Wednesday 30 April 2008

New World Victory Road Fight Announced

World Victory Road has announced a new fight for Sengoku 3.

Nick "The Goat" Thompson has signed to fight on the card, headlined by Takanori Gomi. No opponent has yet been named for Thompson, or Gomi, for that matter. The card is scheduled to take place on June 8th.

We will bring you more information on this fight card when we get it, as, for now, WVR are keeping the lid firmly closed on this one.

UPDATE: Charles McCarthy to Consider Referee Position

MMATrivia announced the retirement of Charles McCarthy earlier this week (see here for the story http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/04/charles-mccarthy-announces-retirement.html)

In a recent interview, McCarthy has expressed his wishes for his future, including a desire to be a referee for the state of Florida. He says he has a real passion for the sport, and wishes to try his hand at reffing, along with training fighters at his gym.

When asked about any other plans for the future, he has this to say “I'd like to maybe get into the promotional end of it.There's just so many different aspects of the sport ... I just love the sport. I can't see myself not being involved in every aspect possible.”

Doerksen Latest Victim Of UFC Cull

Joe Doerksen has announced that his current contract with the UFC has been terminated.

This news follows a long list of other competitors who have been cut from the promotion, and apparently the UFC has not finished yet. Doerksen is currently sporting a 1-5 record in the UFC, with his latest loss comng to Jason MacDonald at UFC 83 in his home town of Canada.

Doerksen said that the UFC has left open the chance for him to return to the promotion in the future, if he can pull together a more impressive record in some of the smaller shows.

Jason Miller Fights Again In May

Jason "Mayhem" Miller has signed a contract to compete at Dream 3, just 13 days away.

He is signed to fight Katsuyori Shibata, a former pro wrestler and student of Masakatsu Funaki. Shibata has a pro MMA record of 2-3 and is currently on a 3 fight losing streak.

Many fans are questioning the reasoning behind this bout, as it appears to be a major step down in competition for Miller, who has fought for many top organisations including HD Net Fights, WEC and UFC.

Tuesday 29 April 2008

RUMOR: Hong Man Choi Out Of Military Service

In an article posted on a Korean Website, Hong Man Choi has stated that he has been medically excused from military service in South Korea due to a tumor on his Pituitary gland.

The 7'2 fighter, perhaps best known for his loss to Fedor Emelianenko, submitted medical papers to the military, claiming he was unfit to complete basic training as the tumor causes problems with his viewing. Choi has previously indicated that he has vision problems, specifically when he suffered a loss to Mighty Mo after not seeing a heavy right hook that knocked him out.

Choi will have to be reassessed in 3 months to see if his condition has improved enough for him to resume basic training, or if he will be excused permenantly from service. This is causing worries amongst fans, as they are concerned he will be stopped from fighting due to this vision problem. He has been refused a fight liscense in the past by the California State Athletic Commission, after the tumor came to light in a medical. Hopefully this won't keep Choi from fighting in the future.

Michael Bisping Ready For Chris Leben

In an article published in The Sun newspaper today, Michael Bisping has decleared that he is excited to be fighting again so soon after his last win, and that he believes he is more technical than Leben, which will give him an advantage in this fight.

Check out The Sun's story here http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/ufc/bispingblog/article1105169.ece

New FIght Added To WEC June 1st Card

A new fight has been announced today for WEC's Faber Vs Pulver event on the 1st June.

Former Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe will take on Will Ribeiro, who is making his WEC debut at the event. This will be Beebe's first fight since he lost his title in February this year. Before this loss, he was riding a 7 fight winning streak, and is now looking to build himself a similar streak with a win over Ribeiro.

Ribeiro is a former Shooto fighter, and joins the organisation with a record of 8-1, coming off a 3 fight winning streak. His opponents so far have not been anywhere near the caliber of an opponent like Beebe, so this will be a tough fight for him, but a victory could really put him on the map.

SPOILER: Dream 2 Results

Today marks the return of new Japanese Promotion, DREAM.

This was their second event, held at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo. The night's action saw the eagerly awaited rematch betweeen Shinya Aoki and Gesias "JZ"Calvancante, and the end of the first round for their middleweight tournament. The first round of the Lightweight tournament was held at DREAM 1.

In the nights main event, Calvancante was beaten by Aoki via unanimous decision. This result means that Aoki will advance in the tournament. This rematch was needed after Calvancante hit Aoki with an illegal elbow in their first fight, leaving Aoki unable to continue.

The other fights revealed some great results, seeing Kazushi Sakuraba victorious in his DREAM debut. In a perhaps unexpected twist, Masakatsu Funaki lost his fight against Kiyoshi Tamura. This was Funaki's second fight since he came out of retirement to fight Kazushi Sakuraba, and was his second loss in this time.

The full results are as follows:

Shinya Aoki defeated Gesias Calvancante via unanimous decision
Taiei Kin defeated Ikuhisa Minowa via unanimous decision
Dong Sik Yoon defeated Shungo Oyama via unanimous decision
Zelg Galesic defeated Magomed Sultanakhmedov via submission (armbar) at 1:40 in Round 1
Ronaldo Souza defeated Ian Murphy via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:38 in Round 1
Kiyoshi Tamura defeated Masakatsu Funaki via TKO (strikes) at 0:57 in Round 1
Gegard Mousasi defeated Denis Kang via submission (triangle choke) at 3:10 in Round 1
Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Andrews Nakahara via submission (neck crank) at 8:20 in Round 1

War Of Words With Kimbo Slice And Chuck Liddell

Over the past few weeks, a feud has been building between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Chuck Liddell, and internet legend and MMA fighter Kimbo Slice.

Chuck has indicated that he thinks that Kimbo should have some real fight experience to prove his worth as a fighter. Kimbo retaliated a few days ago by saying that these comments fuel him, and would effectively make it worse for Chuck if they ever do fight.

Chuck reponded today by saying "All I said is fight to someone real," Liddell said. "The only guy he lost to in his street-fight things came into the UFC and lost. Fight a guy that is real and fight a guy... who has a few wins in MMA, and then talk about it." Kimbo has yet to respond to these comments. No fight is in place between these two fighters, but it is something that both fighters and fans would love to see.

UPDATE: Huerta - Florian Bout Official

Following a report on this site earlier this week, we are pleased to announce that the rumoured bout between Roger "El Matador" Huerta and Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian will happen at UFC 87 in August. (see this link http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/04/rumor-roger-huerta-possible-return-at.html for original story)

The bout has not yet been signed, but is expected to be in the next few days, according to a report by MMA Weekly. The bout will be the co-main event on the card, headlined by Mark Coleman and Brock Lesnar, and will be held in Minnesapolis, Minnesota.

Monday 28 April 2008

UPDATE: FEG Say No Loss of Contract

In a report earlier this week, we announced that FEG run promotion Dream had lost its contract with Tokyo Broadcast system to have their show broadcast on prime time. (see here http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/04/dream-loses-prime-time-slot.html for original story)

Late last night, FEG Sports U.S. representative Mike Cogan announced that this is, in fact, not the case. The deal as it stands with TBS calls for 4 prime time shows for Dream, and 4 shows for their other promotion, K-1.

The confusion comes as Dream plan to hold 7 events, meaning that some will be broadcast on prime time, and others on PPV and tape delay. It is believed that the other tournament matches will be shown on TBS, and non tournament cards on PPV.

Sunday 27 April 2008

Travis Lutter's Contract Terminated

Travis Lutter announced today that he has been cut from the UFC.

This news comes in the wake of his recent loss to Rich Franklin which caused fans to once again question his gas tank. This aspect of his game was first called into question when he failed to make weight for his fight against Anderson Silva.

This contract termination is one of many that the UFC has announced in the past few weeks, as they are trying to reduce their roster size.

More Fights Added To WEC: Faber Vs Pulver Card

The WEC have announced further fights for their June 1st card, already headlined by Featherwight champion Urijah Faber and Jens "Lil' Evil" Pulver.

A second title fight has been added, featuring Bantamweight champion Miguel Torres versus Yoshiro Maeda. Torres was originally slated to fight Manny Tapia at this event, but a knee injury forced Tapia to withdraw.

The other new fights announced today feature Rob McCullough versus Kenneth Alexander and Mark Munoz versus Chuck Grisby.

For the full card, visit http://www.wec.tv/

Contract Extension Signed For Carlos Condit

WEC Welterwight Champion Carlos Condit has reportedly signed a contract extension with the organisation.

Condit, who holds a record of 22-4, is currently on a 7 fight winning streak, and not one of his wins has ended in a decision. The terms of his new contract have not been disclosed.

RUMOR: Roger Huerta Possible Return at UFC 87

In an interview released at http://mmamania.com/, Roger Huerta hinted at a fight at UFC 87 in August.

As for his opponent, nothing is yet confirmed, but he believes it will be Kenny Florian. Kenny reportedly called out Huerta in an interview, and Roger took it very seriously. Nothing is signed at the moment, but Huerta stated he would sign and fight the same day if necessary.

Huerta, who last fought in December 2007, said that he had been taking a long break from fighting and wasn't planning a return in August, but if this fight presented itself, he would be more than ready.

Saturday 26 April 2008

Dream sign TV Deal with HDNet

In the wake of the loss of their TV deal, Dream have announced that they have signed a new deal with HDnet, bringing Dream broadcasts to North America.

The deal includes broadcast of all Dream events to North America on a tape dalay basis, either on the same day, or shortly after. This looks like a good move for Dream, as many North American fans are desperate to view this show on TV, rather than on the internet.

As an added bonus, HDNet are showing March's Dream 1 on the 2nd May, a day before they broadcast Dream 2.

The schedule so far reads

Dream 1 - Friday May 2
Dream 2 - Saturday May 3
Dream 3 - Sunday May 11
Dream 4 - Sunday June 15
Dream 5 - Monday July 21
Dream 6 - Tuesday Sept. 23

Bisping - Leben Confirmed for UFC 85

After nearly a week of speculation, the UFC has today confirmed that Michael "The Count" Bisping will face Chris "The Crippler" Leben at UFC 85 in June, at London's O2 Arena.

For Bisping, this will be his second fight in two months, coming off a win against Charles McCarthy at UFC 83 last week. This will be Bisping's second fight at midleweight, and will give him a chance to prove himself in the division.

Chris Leben, coming off a TKO victory against Alessio Sakara in March, has a record of 18-4, with 10 of his wins coming by KO/TKO. He is known for his heavy hands and the ability to pull off victories with one punch.

The fight should be very exciting for the fans, and will provide a great co main event on what looks to be a solid card.

RUMOR: Cro Cop To Face Le Banner

This is only a rumor at the moment, no official confirmation has been received. We have word that Mirko Cro Cop will be fighting Jerome Le Banner at Dream 4.

No further details on this event are known at the moment, but, if true, this could be a very explosive fight. It will happen under MMA rules, despite the fact that Le Banner hasn't fought an MMA bout since 2006.

As both these fighters have backgrounds in kickboxing, this will be a great fight and most likely a stand up war. We will post more details as we find them. To see the original source of the rumor, please visit www.mirko-crocop.com.

Friday 25 April 2008

Replacement Headline Fight In Place For UFC 85

After the injury of Chuck Liddell last week, the UFC has been on the hunt for a replacement fight. It seems they have found willing opponents in the forms of Matt Hughes and Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves.

The fight, which was first announced on Matt Hughes website, was taken on short notice, with only 2 months left to prepare. This will be the second time Hughes has fought in England, his first being July 2002 at UFC 38.

This fight could put Hughes back onhis way up if he can pull off the win. He is currently coming off a loss to Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, and is 1-2 in his last 3 fights. For Thiago Alves, this fight could add a very important win to his current 5 fight winning streak, and may put him closer to a shot at the Welterweight belt.

Matt Hughes has stated that whether he wins or loses in June, he will still face Matt Serra next, in a long awaited grudge match.

Joe Riggs Not Licensed To Fight

Joe "Diesel" Riggs has been denied a license to fight in this weekend's Phoenix Fight 2, due to insufficient evidence that he is fit to fight.

Riggs has been sidelined since the 23rd February after suffering a back injury from a throw at the hands of Cory Devela, resulting in surgery to freeze 3 nerves in his back. Riggs' career has been plagued with injury and personal problems, and this has further added to his run of bad luck.

It is thought that TJ Grant will replace Riggs this Saturday in a bout against Mike Gates.

Strikeforce Announces Next Event

Strikeforce have today announced their next event, featuring a Lightweight Title bout between Champion Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez and Challenger Josh "The Punk" Thompson.

The event will take place at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California on the 27th June. This is the second time that this title fight has been scheduled, but Thompson had to pull out due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.

In a statement by Melendez, he said "This is a very big fight for the fans, for the promotion and for Josh and me, Josh is a great fighter, but I'm the champ, and I plan on remaining the champ for a long time." There is added interest in this fight, as the two fighters are long time friends and training partners. Thompson insists this isn't going to be a problem to their friendship.

Three New Fights for UFC 86

3 new fights have been announced by the UFC for their July 5th card, to be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The main event for this card is Quinton "Rampage" Jackson versus Forrest Griffin for the UFC Light Heavyweight Belt.

The new fights added are Josh Koscheck veruss Chris "Lights Out" Lytle, Patrick "The Predator" Cote versus Ricardo "Big Dog" Almeida, and Cole Miller versus Jorge Gurgel.

All three of these fights look to be exciting fights. The full card for this event can be seen at http://www.ufc.com/.

M-1 Mix Fight's " Fighting Fedor"

M-1 Mix Fight released some information today on their upcoming reality series "Fighting Fedor". The winner will get the chance to face Fedor Emelianenko in the future.

Very few details were issued, but we have learned that 16 heavyweight fighters from around the world will be brought to Fedor's training ground, The Red Devil Fight Club in St. Petersburg, Russia. They will ahve the opportunity to train there, and occasionally they will train with notable Red Devil fighters. No names have yet been released, but some known Red Devil fighters include Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko, Amar Suloev, Roman Zentzov and Andrei Semenov, amongst others.

No other details have been released as yet, but we will have more information for you as it comes.

Dream Loses Prime Time Slot

New Japanese promotion Dream have announced that their shows will no longer be aired on Tokyo Broadcasting Systems Prime Time slots. In the aftermath of their first show, which gained very poor viewing figures for TBS, it looks like things aren't getting any easier.

Their shows will now be aired on Pay Per View, in an astonishing six hour broadcast. TBS will broadcast the April 29th event in 1 hour portions a week later, in aternoon and late night slots.

Dream hope that the Pay Per View broadcasts will be well received by fans, as they will be able to view the whole show, rather than a heavily edited version. Only time will tell how this new scheme will work out for the already troubled young promotion.

Charles McCarthy Announces Retirement

The UFC's Charles "Chainsaw" McCarthy announced his retirement from competition today, in the wake of his recent UFC loss to Michael Bisping.

McCarthy, aged 27, had this to say: "I have achieved many of the goals I set out to accomplish in this sport and found others just out of reach. It is now time for me to lay down my gloves and rededicate my attention towards my business, my fighters, my family and my team."

McCarthy's current MMA record stands at 10 wins with 5 losses. He is perhaps best known for his time on The Ultimate Fighter 4 - The Comeback, where he was defeated by Pete Sell via Unanimous Decision. It was this show that earned him the nickname "Captain Miserable", due to his almost reclusive attitude.

Here at MMA Quizzes, we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

Thursday 24 April 2008

Welcome

Hi all

This site has been designed to feature news from the MMA world, as soon as possible after it breaks. We will cover news from all major companies (and some of the minor ones too!) We will include fighter news, company news and anything else we feel is relevant.

One thing that we wont report on as it happens is the Ultimate Fighter news. We will give a recap of that on a Tuesday morning, after the show has aired in the UK. We don't want to spoil anything for the UK fans, or for ourselves, as we are based in England too. Any dicussions on this will be left until Tuesday. I realise that this is almost a week late for those of you in the U.S., but unfortunately we cant do anything about this.

We will feature up to date news from all around the globe along with various quizzes about MMA from the beginning until now. We will have some quizzes up very soon. If you have a question or a theme that you would like to see included please e-mail us at MMAquizzes@Live.co.uk

Thanks
Andy